# Wui language

Wui (autonym: tʰa³³wɛ⁵² ma³³lan⁵², lit. 'crab language') is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Wui village, Noklak District, Nagaland, India (26°02′10″N 95°04′01″E﻿ / ﻿26.036°N 95.067°E﻿ / 26.036; 95.067). There are just under 1,000 speakers.

## Background

Wui is spoken in the single village of Wui, which has about 150 houses. Wui village is situated 10 km west of the India-Myanmar border on the Patsho Range in eastern Nagaland. It is estimated that there are less than 1,000 speakers.
Nearby languages include Tikhir (Aoic) and various Khiamniunganic (Konyakian) varieties. Wui speakers consider themselves to be an ethnic subgroup of the Khiamniungan people and also speak Patsho Khiamniungan. Many Wui people are fluent in Nagamese.

## Classification

Due to its divergent lexicon and typological features, the classification of Wui is uncertain. Coupe (2023) suggests a divergent Central Naga affiliation. However, Wui lacks rhotics, which are characteristic of most Central Naga languages.

## Phonology

The phonological inventory of Wui is as follows.
Consonants :
| | labial/ labiodental | dental | palatal/ palato-alveolar | velar | glottal |
| stop, unasiprated | p | t | | k | ʔ |
| stop, aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | | kʰ | |
| affricate, unaspirated | | ts | tʃ | | |
| affricate, aspirated | | tsʰ | tʃʰ | | |
| nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| nasal, glottalized | mˀ | nˀ | | ŋˀ | |
| fricative | (v) | s | ʃ | | |
| approximant | w | l | j | | h |
Vowels :
| i | ʉ | u |
| ɛ | | ɔ |
| | a | |
There are three phonemic tones in Wui, which are:
* high level /55/
* mid level /33/
* high falling /52/

## Pronouns

Wui personal pronouns are as follows.
| | singular | dual | plural |
| 1st person | ŋa⁵² | i³³tsai⁵² | i³³sɪm³³ |
| 2nd person | naŋ⁵² | la³³tsaɪ⁵² | la³³sɪm³³ |
| 3rd person | ta³³pau⁵² | tʃaʊ³³ɲɪt³³ | tʃaʊ³³la³³ |

## Lexicon

Below are some Swadesh list items for Wui as provided in Coupe (2023).
| Gloss | Wui |
| I | ŋa⁵² |
| you (sg.) | nâŋ |
| we | i³³tsaɪ⁵² |
| this | tʃaʊ⁵² |
| that | kʰɔ⁵² |
| who? | siʊ⁵² |
| what? | kaʊ⁵⁵tɔ⁵² |
| all | tɛ³³la³³pʊm⁵² |
| many | paŋ⁵²nɛ³³ |
| one | kʰaʔ³³ |
| two | a³³ɲɪt³³ |
| big | ta⁵⁵waʔ³³ |
| long | ʃi⁵⁵nɛ³³ |
| small | a³³laŋ⁵² |
| woman | tʰa³³ɲu³³lia⁵² |
| man | ta³³pu³³lia⁵² |
| person | maiʔ⁵⁵ |
| fish | tha³³ŋɔʔ⁵⁵ |
| bird | u³³lia⁵² |
| dog | haɪ⁵² |
| louse | tʃʰɪ⁵⁵paɪ⁵² |
| tree | sɪn⁵² |
| seed | tʃaɪʔ³³ |
| leaf | taʊ³³ɔ⁵² |
| root | ta³³lɪn³³ |
| bark | siŋ³³kʊap³³ |
| skin | tsak³³kʊap³³ |
| flesh | ta³³ma³³tɪn⁵⁵ |
| blood | tʰaɪʔ³³ |
| bone | tă³³lɪt³³ |
| grease | ta³³sɛ⁵² |
| egg | vɛ⁵⁵la⁵⁵tai³³ |
| horn | ta³³la³³tʃaɪ⁵⁵ |
| tail | ta³³la³³ma⁵⁵ |
| hair | tă³³kɛ³³ɲɪm³³ |
| head | tă³³kɛ⁵² |
| ear | nʉ³³pʉ³³ |
| eye | ɲit³³tsaŋ³¹ |
| nose | thă³³no³³ |
| mouth | tha³³ɔ⁵² |
| tooth | pʰɔ⁵² |
| tongue | ma³³la⁵² |
| fingernail | mă³³lɪn⁵² |
| foot | mă³³pʰɔ⁵² |
| knee | ma³³kʰɔk³³ |
| hand | kʰɛt³³ |
| belly | han⁵² |
| neck | ʉ⁵² |
| breasts | la³³ɲʉʔ³³ |
| heart | tă³³ŋi³³la³³sa⁵² |
| drink | ʉʔ⁵⁵ |
| eat | tsɔ⁵⁵jaʔ⁵² |
| bite | ma³³kăk⁵² |
| see | a³³tsaʊ⁵⁵pɛʔ³³ |
| know | ma³³tat³³ |
| sleep | ip³³ |
| die | tă³³saɪ³³wa⁵² |
| kill | ta³³lɛ³³sat⁵⁵ |
| swim | tɛɪ³³ la³³tʰak⁵⁵ |
| walk | a³³pɪaŋ⁵⁵pɛʔ³¹ |
| come | lɔʔ³³ |
| sit | nuɪʔ⁵⁵ |
| stand | jap³³ |
| give | lɛ⁵⁵paɪʔ³³ |
| say | hɔʔ³³ |
| sun | ja⁵⁵ŋaɪ⁵⁵ |
| moon | ɔ⁵² |
| star | tʃɪ⁵⁵nɛ⁵⁵ |
| water | taɪ⁵² |
| rain | tɪn³³taɪ⁵² |
| stone | loŋ⁵² |
| earth | la³³la³³ |
| cloud | la³³ma⁵² |
| smoke | ma³³ma³³kʰaʊʔ⁵⁵ |
| fire | ma⁵² |
| ash | laʊ⁵⁵ʊt⁵⁵ |
| path | lam⁵² |
| white | ma³³ŋi⁵² |
| night | tsi³³ɪn³³ |
| full | lɛ⁵⁵ta⁵⁵tʃɪ̰n³³ |
| name | ɲɪn⁵² |